IV.

Eg er, som vel Du veit, ein Fjellets Mann, og derfor dreg til Fjells, so tidt eg kan, at friska meg paa Fly og bratte Bryn, og sjaa ikring meg alle store Syn. Men efter som eg meir paa Alder steig, og Foten mindre lett frametter seig, so laut eg soleids sveiva meg og snu, at eg i Jötunheimen fekk ei Bud, der eg ein Maanads Tid kan liva vel og styrkja millom Fjellom Skrott og Sjel. Eg plassen valde, etter Syn pan mange ved Bygdins vestre Ende paa ein Tange. Fraa logne Heim, der ser Du Tinder vaja, og Sletmarkhö, som likjest Himalaya. Med kvite Lokkar stend ho som i Tankar so nett som hægsta Tinden Gaurisankar. Eg tri fekk med meg til det Byggjeverk, men endaa er min Pung so litet sterk at ikke eg, som er ein afsett Kar, kan löysa in min Part i denne Gard. Fem Daler hadd’ eg, so var Pungen tom, og fem og tjuge er den heile Sum. Men dette vantad Tjug til Samskotslag, det fekk af Konsul Heftye eg idag. For dette og den gode Viljen sin eg gev’n Pant i denne Garden min. So, om eg döyr, hel dreg af Landet ut, so eig i Garden han den fjorde Lut, imot at han fem Daler legger af til deim, som paa mit Bu kan hava Krav forutan Alt, som etter Svärt paa Kvitt, paa Garden kostad verdt i Navnet mitt, i Fall han ikkje vil, som hender tidt, til Andre selja dette pantet sit, og draga pantesummen derifraa hjaa deim, som Garden etter Auktion faa, Til kvert eit Nytaar fæer han Renta plent, i Kongens Mynt med Retten fem procent. Og so han hev for Gud og Retten sin der fyrste Pant i Eidsbu Garden min som vel er ny, men derfor god som gyld, og fær nok Numer og Matrikulskyld, og so i Thingets Bok eit serskilt Rum paa lange, store mugne Folium. Og saa som Vitne stend her, daa til Svars Voldmester Thjöme, Archivaren Sars, som eiga Garden etter Lod og Linje isaman med med meg—Aasmund Olsen Vinge.149

Christiania, 28de November, 1868. Til Vitterlighed: H. J. Thjöme. E. Sars.

I am, as well you know, a man of the mountains, And therefore go to the Fjelds as oft as I can, To freshen myself on craig or broad hillside, And look around to see as far as I can. But as I find I’m getting on in years, And that I am not so fleet of foot as I was, I lie and bask in the sun, and think That I should like a hut in Jötunheim,150 Where I could live well for a month’s space, And strengthen body and soul among the fjelds. I chose the spot, after looking at many, With the west end of the hut upon a tongue of land. From the little hut you see the peaks so lofty, And Sletmarkhö, so much like Himalaya. Bareheaded, thus I stood in contemplation, On mighty Gaurisankar’s highest peak. I took three with me for this building work; But then my purse is so extremely light, That I, who am but an humble fellow, Cannot pay my share in this property. I had five dollars—so light was my purse, And five-and-twenty was the sum required. But this much wanted, twenty in the total, I got to-day from Mr. Consul Heftye. For this, and for his kind goodwill, I give a mortgage on this house of mine. So, if I die, or if I leave the land, He shall possess the fourth part of the house On paying down five dollars to the man Who may have any claim upon my hut, Excepting all that, as the receipt does show, Was spent upon the house in my own name, In case he will not, as ofttimes occurs, Sell this, his mortgage, to another man, Deducting the amount of the mortgage from That which the house will fetch when sold by Auction. With each new year he interest shall Receive, in Royal coin, at legal five per cent. And thus, before God and the law, he has The first mortgage on this isthmus house of mine, Which is quite new, and, therefore, good as gold, And shall have number and matriculation, And have a space allotted in the books of the Court, in their great big, musty folios. As witnesses appear the Dike inspector, Thjöme, and the Keeper of the Archives, Sars, Who own a share and portion in the house, Together with myself—Aasmund Olsen Vinge.

Christiania, 28th November, 1868. Witnesses: H. J. Thjöme. E. Sars.